KR101928129B1 - Wide temperature range optical fiber connector with thermal expansion compensation - Google Patents

Abstract

The optical fiber assembly includes an optical fiber having a front end, a ferrule supporting the optical fiber, a beam expansion element aligned with the front end of the optical fiber, and a thermal expansion compensation element adjacent to the optical fiber to compensate for the difference in thermal expansion between the optical fiber and the ferrule do.

Description

[0001] WIDE TEMPERATURE RANGE OPTICAL FIBER CONNECTOR WITH THERMAL EXPANSION COMPENSATION [0002] FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0003]

Reference to Related Application

The present invention claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 61 / 560,041, filed November 15, 2011, entitled " Wide Temperature Range Optical Fiber Connector With Thermal Expansion Compensation ". The contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

The present invention relates generally to optical fiber assemblies, and more particularly to fiber optic cable assemblies that are used within a wide temperature range and have thermal expansion compensation functionality.

It is often desirable to use fiber optic systems for signal transmission in high bandwidth applications. However, the use of optical fibers faces a challenge in an environment having a significant range of operating temperatures. Automotive applications that operate in the engine compartment experience relatively high and low temperatures. While some fiber optic systems can operate within the required temperature range, such systems are often too expensive for mass-produced automotive applications. Low cost systems, such as utilizing plastic optical fibers, typically do not operate effectively within the required operating temperature range. In addition, plastic optical fiber systems may not have sufficient bandwidth for some applications. Thus, a relatively inexpensive, high bandwidth optical fiber system that is operable within a wide temperature range is desirable.

Additional objects and advantages of the structure and operation of the present invention, as well as the structure and operation thereof, will be understood by reference to the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals represent like elements.
1 to 5 illustrate an embodiment of an optical fiber cable assembly having thermal expansion compensation capability.
Figs. 6-9 illustrate a second embodiment of an optical fiber cable assembly having thermal expansion compensation capability.
Figures 10-21 illustrate an embodiment of a system for high bandwidth signal transmission.
Figures 22 and 23 illustrate a second embodiment of a system for high bandwidth signal transmission.
24-27 illustrate a third embodiment of a system for high bandwidth signal transmission.

It is to be understood that the specification is not intended to be construed as limiting of the present principles and should be considered as illustrative of the principles of the invention, and although different forms of embodiment are possible, specific embodiments will be shown and described in detail in the drawings. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the expressions of up, down, left, right, forward, and backward directions used to describe the structure and movement of the various embodiments of the invention are not absolute and are relative. These representations are appropriate when the elements are in the positions shown in the figures. However, if the description of the location of the elements changes, these representations will change accordingly.

Referring to Figures 1-5, an optical fiber cable assembly 20 with thermal expansion compensation is shown. The fiber optic cable assembly 20 includes a lensed ferrule member 22 having a lens that terminates in an optical fiber cable 25. The optical fiber cable 25 has a glass optical fiber 26 including a core and a cladding layer. An outer sheath or buffer 27 surrounds the optical fiber 26. A rigid member such as Kevlar may be provided between the optical fiber 26 and the buffer 27. A generally annular holding or crimp ring 23 is secured within the fiber optic cable 25 and within the ferrule member 22 with the lens. An elastic boot 24 is positioned on the rear section 33 of the ferrule member 22 with the lens to seal the assembly and provide tension relief.

The ferrule member 22 with the lens is generally cylindrical and has a central bore extending partially through the ferrule member along the central axis 32. The ferrule member 22 with the lens has a rear section 33, a center section 34 and a front or matching section 35. The rear section 33 includes a plurality of resilient latching arms 36 circumferentially spaced about a central axis 32 and includes a longitudinal slot 37 between each pair of latching arms 36. [ Respectively. The rear section (33) has a generally cylindrical bore (38) with a tapered introduction section (39). The cylindrical bore 38 includes an internal recess 40 which is generally annular for receiving and holding the retaining ring 23 therein.

The central section 34 is generally cylindrical and has an outer annular recess 43 for securing and accommodating an annular ridge 49 located on the inner surface of the boot seal 24. The central section 34 has an internal bore 44 that is generally cylindrical in which the optical fiber 26 can move laterally therein as will be described in more detail below.

The front section 35 is generally cylindrical and has a convex lens 45 integrally formed at its front end. If desired, the lens 45 may be a separate component. The front section 35 is generally tapered bore 46 from the substantially same diameter as the inner bore 44 of the central section 34 to the reduced diameter section 47 to align with the front end 28 of the optical fiber 26. [ . The front section 35 may have one or more annular protrusions 48, if desired, to assist in mounting the fiber optic cable assembly 20. These annular protrusions 48 may be omitted and the outer surface of the forward section 35 may have other configurations or other shapes if desired.

3, the central bore of the ferrule member 22 with the lens is defined by the cylindrical bore 38 of the rear section 33, the inner bore 44 of the central section 34, And a tapered bore 46 of a tapered shape. The central bore accommodates the peeled portion of the optical fiber 26 therein. The diameter of the central bore is large enough to allow the optical fiber 26 to move laterally therein. In other words, the center bore is large enough to allow the optical fiber to be deflected laterally away from the central axis 32, as shown by phantom line 26 'in Figures 3-5.

The ferrule member 22 with the lens can be formed of an optical grade resin that can be injection molded. If the lens 45 is integrally molded as a part of the ferrule member 22 having a lens, the resin can be selected to have a refractive index that substantially matches the refractive index of the optical fiber 26. [ In one example, the ferrule member 22 with the lens can be made of Ultem 2500®. It is not necessary that the resin of the ferrule member having the lens coincides with the refractive index of the optical fiber 26 unless the lens 45 is integrally molded with the ferrule member 22 having the lens. It is still highly desirable that such a separate lens coincides with the refractive index of the optical fiber 26.

The generally annular retaining ring 23 has a cylindrical bore 29 therein for receiving a fiber optic cable 25 therein. The retaining ring 23 may be made of a deformable material such as brass to allow the retaining ring 23 to be crimped and secured to the optical fiber cable 25. [ If desired, the retaining ring 23 may be secured to the optical fiber cable 25 in other manners, such as adhesives including epoxy.

The boot 24 is a generally elastic, hollow member configured to slide over the rear section 33 of the ferrule 22 with the lens and includes a generally ferrule member 22 having a lens, a retaining ring 23 and a fiber optic cable 25 ). Also, the boot 24 can act as a tension relief. The boot 24 has an annular protruding ridge or protrusion 49 along its inner surface to securely engage the outer annular recess 43 of the ferrule member 22 with the lens. The boot 24 may be made of an elastic material such as rubber.

At the time of assembly, the boot 24 is first placed on the optical fiber cable 25. [ The retaining ring 23 can then be placed in a suitable crimping tool and the fiber optic cable 25 can be fed through the central bore 29 of the retaining ring 23. [ The retaining ring 23 is fixed to the optical fiber cable 25 by crimping or the like and the buffer 27 of a predetermined length is removed so that the optical fiber 26 of a predetermined length is exposed. The optical fiber 26 is then cut to a predetermined length. This cutting operation can be done with a laser or a mechanical cleaving tool.

The assembly of the optical fiber cable 25 and the retaining ring 23 is moved relative to the ferrule member 22 having the lens to enter the central bore of the ferrule member 22 having the lens. As the assembly of the optical fiber cable 25 and the retaining ring 23 moves into the central bore the end of the optical fiber 26 is guided by the tapered bore 46 to the reduced diameter section 47, 23 are engaged with the tapered introduction section 39 of the elastic latching arm 36. The resilient latching arm 36 is deflected outwardly to allow the retention ring 23 to advance into and be locked into the generally annular inner recess 40. The boot 24 is then moved along the optical fiber cable 25 until the annular protrusion 49 engages the outer annular recess 43 of the central section 34 of the ferrule member 22 with the lens. To the ferrule member (22).

In an environment such as in the engine compartment of a vehicle, the fiber optic cable assembly 20 can undergo significant temperature changes from -60 占 폚 to + 150 占 폚. Since the ferrule member 22 with the lens and the optical fiber 26 are formed of different materials, they have different coefficients of thermal expansion and therefore will expand and contract in different amounts. More specifically, the ferrule member 22 with the lens will be made of resin and will tend to expand and contract to a larger size than the optical fiber 26 made of glass, typically silica. The central bore of the ferrule member 22 with the lens has a dimension that is substantially larger than the diameter of the optical fiber 26 so that the optical fiber moves sideways relative to the central axis 32 of the optical fiber assembly 20 Allow. The optical fiber 26 is made of glass, and its length will be very stable regardless of temperature. The ferrule member 26 with the lens will expand at a higher temperature to a larger size than the optical fiber 26 and shrink at a lower temperature.

In one embodiment, the exposed length of the optical fiber 26 is expected to be 8 to 15 mm and the diameter of the central bore approximately 1.5 mm. The distance between the front end 28 of the optical fiber 26 and the retaining ring 23 is such that the fiber optic cable assembly 20 experiences a thermal expansion over a temperature range of -60 占 폚 to + 20 micrometers. ≪ / RTI > Constructing the diameter of the center bore at approximately 1.5 mm is expected to be sufficient to allow deflection of the optical fiber 26 away from the central axis 32 to permit compensation for thermal expansion of the fiber optic cable assembly.

3 and 4 show that the optical fiber 26 when the ferrule member 22 with the lens is sufficiently inflated such that the optical fiber can be expanded to its normal length along the central axis 32 is shown as a " have. As the operating temperature is lowered, the ferrule member 22 with the lens will shrink. The optical fiber 26 is fixed between the reduced diameter bore 47 and the retaining ring 23 so that the optical fiber is placed in a compressed state while the ferrule 22 with the lens is retracted. However, since the front end 28 of the optical fiber 26 is held in the reduced diameter bore 47, since the optical fiber 26 is not supported within the central bore of the lensed ferrule member 22, 26 may be deflected from the central axis 32 within the central bore 32 as shown by phantom lines at 26 '. With this configuration, the compensation for the difference in thermal expansion between the ferrule member 22 having the lens and the optical fiber 26 can be achieved without deteriorating the performance of the optical fiber cable assembly 20. [ Note that for clarity, different lengths (expansion and contraction) of the ferrule member 22 with the lens are not shown. In reality, when the ferrule member 22 with the lens is in the retracted position and the optical fiber 26 'is moved laterally from the central axis 32, It will move closer to the retaining ring 23 side.

A second embodiment of an optical fiber cable assembly 50 with thermal expansion compensation is shown in Figures 6-9. The fiber optic cable assembly 50 includes a ferrule member 51 having a lens that terminates in an optical fiber cable 25. The fiber optic cable 25 is constructed in a manner similar to the embodiment of Figures 1-5, but the buffer 27 of short length is stripped so that the exposed fiber 26 of short length remains. A retention or crimp ring 53 is secured to the ferrule member 51 with the optical fiber cable 25 and the lens. The elastic boot 54 is positioned over the rear section 55 of the ferrule member 51 with the lens and the retaining ring 53 to provide a ferrule member 51 with a lens that seals the assembly and relaxes the tension .

The ferrule member 51 with the lens is generally cylindrical and has a central bore 52 extending through the ferrule member along the central axis 60. The ferrule member 51 with the lens includes a rear section 55, a center section 56 and a front or matching section 57. The rear section 55 has a plurality of resilient latching arms 58 spaced circumferentially about a center axis 60 and a longitudinal slot 59 is located between each resilient latching arm 61. Each resilient latching arm 58 has a raised outer edge 61 that is collectively combined to form a generally circular locking ring 62. 8 and 9, it can be seen that the rear section 55 has a cylindrical bore 64 therein.

The central section 56 is generally cylindrical and has an outer annular recess 65 for securing the ferrule member 51 with the lens to the boot 54. The central section 56 is a generally cylindrical bore 66.

The front section 57 is generally cylindrical and has a monolithic internal bore formed as a series of passageways and extending through its entire length. The front section has a front end 68 with a generally cylindrical front passageway 71 extending rearward toward the central section 56 until it reaches the rear wall 79. A pair of lateral openings 72 extend from the outer surface of the front section 57 and intersect the front passageway 71 at a position slightly ahead of the rear wall 79.

The front section 57 has a generally cylindrical passageway 73 configured as an extension of the bore 66 adjacent the central section 56. As the bore approaches the rear wall 79, it tapers to form a tapered passageway 74 that leads to the optical fiber passageway 75. The optical fiber passageway 75 is located along the central axis 60 and extends through the rear wall 79 to connect the front passageway 71 to the tapered passageway 74. The tapered passageway 74 and the optical fiber The passageway 75 is configured to guide the optical fiber to the central axis 60 as the optical fiber approaches the front passageway 71. The front section 57 may have an annular projection 67 to assist in mounting the fiber optic cable assembly 50 if desired. The annular projection 67 may be omitted, and the outer surface of the front section 57 may have another configuration or another shape if desired.

8 and 9, the central bore 52 of the ferrule member 51 with the lens has a cylindrical bore 64, a central section 56, and a front section (not shown) of the rear section 55 A tapered passage 74, an optical fiber passage 75, and a front passage 71 of the cylindrical passage 73 of the first and second passages 57, 57 in this order. The central bore 52 receives therein a certain length of the optical fiber cable 26 as well as a predetermined length of the optical fiber cable 26 therein. The diameters of the cylindrical bore 64 of the rear section 55, the cylindrical bore 66 of the central section 56 and the cylindrical passage 73 of the front section 57 are sufficient to allow the optical fiber cable to be positioned therein Big. The optical fiber passage 75 is dimensioned such that the optical fiber 26 passes therethrough and maintains the optical fiber along the central axis 60. The ferrule member 51 having a lens may be formed of resin capable of injection molding.

The elastic lens 76 is insert molded in the front passageway 71 to form a convex front surface 77 and further fill the front passageway 71 and the lateral opening 72 with an elastic lens material. The elastic lens material fills the lateral opening 72 of the ferrule member 51 with the lens with the leg 78 functioning to hold the elastic lens 76 in the front passageway 71 (after the molding process) . During the molding process, one leg 72 acts as an inlet for the lens material and the other leg acts as an outlet. As a result, the possibility of trapping air in the front passageway 71 can be reduced, and thus the performance of the elastic lens 76 is increased. The elastic lens 76 may be made of an injection-moldable optical grade elastic material having a refractive index that approximately matches the refractive index of the optical fiber 26. In one example, the elastic lens can be made of silicon.

In an alternative design, the resilient lens can be molded separately from the ferrule member 51 with the lens and inserted into the front passageway 71. This separate lens (not shown) can also have projections that engage with the lateral opening 72 to secure the lens in the front passageway 71. This separate lens (not shown) And may have an end extending beyond the front end 68 of the ferrule member 51 having the same. In this configuration, the elastic face of the ferrule member 51 having the lens can generate the rear Z axis force. This Z-axis force can move the profile of the ferrule member 51 with the lens to a known stop in its enclosure. Therefore, in order to achieve such an elastic surface, it is possible to have a separate element disposed between two opposing ferrules and serving as a spring member; The end extends beyond the front end 68 of the ferrule member 51 with the lens. As an alternative approach, the integration of the elastic surface can be formed from the same process as the formation of the silicone lens of the ferrule. Either way, this configuration has a ferrule assembled in its housing biased in the Z axis direction so that, at the time of registration, the known distances between the ferrule and the opposing ferrule are in a known orientation relative to each other.

The retaining ring 53 is generally cylindrical and has a configuration with a step. The rear section 81 has a cylindrical bore 82 with a dimension for receiving the optical fiber cable 25 therein. The front section (83) has an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the rear section (81). The front section 83 has enlarged bores 84 to accommodate the ends 61 of the latch arms 58 of the ferrule member 51 with the lens. The enlarged bore 84 may have a tapered leading edge 85 and an annular recess 86 between the trailing portion 81 and the tapered leading edge 85. The annular recess 86 is dimensioned to securely receive a locking ring 62 formed by the raised outer edge 61 of the resilient spring arm 58 of the ferrule member 51. The retaining ring 53 may be formed of a deformable material such as brass to allow the retention ring to be crimped and secured to the optical fiber cable 25. [ If desired, the retaining ring 53 may be secured to the fiber optic cable 25 in other manners, such as adhesives including epoxy.

The boot 54 is configured to slide over the rear section 55 of the ferrule member 51 with the lens and to substantially seal the assembly of the ferrule member 51, retention ring 53 and fiber optic cable 25 with the lens The hollow member being substantially resilient. Also, the boot 54 can act as a tension relief. The boot 54 has an annular protruding ridge or protrusion 88 along its inner surface for fixing engagement with the outer annular recess 65 of the ferrule member 51 with the lens. Boot 54 may be made of an elastic material such as rubber.

During assembly, the boot 54 is first positioned in the optical fiber cable 25. [ The retention ring 53 is placed in a suitable crimping tool (not shown) and the fiber optic cable 25 can be fed through the bore 82 and bore 84 of the retaining ring 53. [ The holding ring 53 is fixed to the optical fiber cable 25 by crimping or the like and the buffer 27 of a predetermined length is removed so that the optical fiber 26 of a predetermined length is exposed. The optical fiber 26 is then cut to a predetermined length. This cutting operation can be done with a laser or mechanical cleaving tool.

The assembly of the optical fiber cable 25 and the retaining ring 53 is moved relative to the ferrule member 51 having the lens so as to enter the central bore 52 of the ferrule member 51 having the lens. As the optical fiber 26 enters the fiber optic bore 75 the elastic arm 58 of the ferrule member 51 with the lens engages the tapered leading edge 85 of the retaining ring 53 and biases inwardly do. When the raised outer edge 61 of the resilient arm 58 aligns with the annular recess 86 of the retaining ring 53, the resilient arm is outwardly biased, with the edge 61 engaged with the annular recess 86 So that the ferrule member 51 having the lens is fixed to the retaining ring 53. The elastic boot 54 is then connected to an optical fiber cable (not shown) until the annular protrusion 88 of the elastic boot 54 engages the outer annular recess 65 of the central section 56 of the ferrule member 51 with the lens 25 on the assembly of the ferrule member 51 having the lens and the retaining ring 53.

The difference in thermal expansion between the optical fiber 26 and the ferrule member 51 having a lens can be overcome by the elasticity of the lens 76. [ The optical fiber cable assembly 50 is configured such that the front end 28 of the optical fiber 26 is pressed against the lens 76 with sufficient force to provide the desired optical transparency when the optical fiber cable assembly 50 is at its upper end of its expected temperature range. To the back surface (89) If the fiber optic cable assembly 50 faces a temperature lower than the upper limit of this temperature range, the ferrule member 51 with the lens will shrink while the optical fibers 26 remain approximately the same length. The front passageway 71 will move back toward the retaining ring 53 and therefore between the retaining ring 53 and the rear surface 89 of the resilient lens 76. As the ferrule member 51 with the lens contracts, Is shortened. The front end 28 of the optical fiber 26 is additionally pressed into the rear surface 89 of the elastic lens and will further deform the rear surface 89 of the elastic lens 26 since the length of the optical fiber 26 does not vary significantly. . Despite the deflection of the rear surface 89 of the elastic lens, the desired optical transmission characteristics will be maintained. For a temperature range of -60 DEG C to + 150 DEG C, it is expected that the back surface 89 of the lens will be able to move approximately 20 micrometers along the central axis 60. It should be noted that fiber optic cable assembly 20 and fiber optic cable assembly 50 each include components that can be changed without significantly affecting the thermal expansion compensation aspects of the cable assembly. For example, the fiber optic cable assembly 20 and the fiber optic cable assembly 50 use different configurations to hold the fiber optic cable 25 within the ferrule assembly with each lens. More specifically, the retention ring 23 of the optical fiber cable assembly 20 slides into the elastic latching arm 36 of the ferrule member 22 having the lens, but the retention ring 53 of the optical fiber cable assembly 50 is moved On the elastic latching arm (58) of the ferrule member (51). Each configuration for securing the optical fiber 25 to the ferrule members having a lens can be used for either cable assembly. It is also expected that other ways to secure the fiber optic cable 25 to the ferrule members with the lens will also be used. In addition, the external configuration of the front section of the ferrule members with each lens can be varied without significantly affecting the thermal expansion compensation performance of the optical fiber cable assemblies.

The fiber optic cable assembly 20 is configured to allow lateral deflection of the optical fiber 26 in the central bore to provide a difference in thermal expansion between the optical fiber 26 along the central axis or longitudinal axis 32 and the ferrule member 22 with the lens Lt; / RTI > In other words, the fiber optic cable assembly 20 compensates for thermal expansion through the lateral deflection of the optical fiber 26. The fiber optic cable assembly 50 compensates for the difference in thermal expansion between the optical fiber 26 and the ferrule member 51 with the lens by providing an elastic lens 76 that is deflected along the central axis 60. In other words, the optical fiber assembly 50 compensates for thermal expansion through the longitudinal deflection of the elastic lens 76, while the optical fiber cable assembly 20 compensates for thermal expansion through the lateral deflection of the optical fiber 26.

10 to 21, there is shown a system 100 for high bandwidth signal transmission from an electronic device (not shown) such as a digital camera, DVD player, control system or engine management system. The system 100 includes a subassembly 102, a transceiver subassembly 103 connected to the subassembly 102, and a cable assembly 104 connected to the transceiver subassembly 103. The subassembly 102 includes any type of electronic device (not shown) that is useful for transmitting and / or receiving high quality digital signals. The subassembly 102 can be of any shape, but is shown generally as a rectangle, on which is mounted a housing 110 having a connector 111 that is generally circular. The circular connector 111 has a generally circular opening 112 for receiving a mating connector and a plurality of conductive elastic terminals 113 extending into the circular opening 112. Each terminal 113 has a contact arm 114 with a protrusion or dimple 115 for contacting the conductive contact 125 of the mating connector. It is noted that the dimples 115 of the conductive terminals 113 may be spaced at different distances from the mating edge 116 of the circular connector, as discussed in more detail below. The terminal 113 of the circular connector 111 is electrically connected to an electronic component (not shown) in the housing 110 and can be connected through a circuit board (not shown) by soldering or the like.

The transceiver subassembly 103 has a housing 121 that includes a device connection end 122 and a cable connection end 123. The device connecting end has a cylindrical protrusion 124 with a plurality of spaced peripheral direction conductive rings serving as individual peripheral direction contacts 125. The protrusion 124 and its contact 125 serve as a conductive slip ring that interacts with the terminal 113 of the circular connector 111 to form a rotatable connector. The housing end 122 includes a plurality of resilient locking arms 127 fixedly coupled to the shoulder 117 of the circular connector 111 to secure the transceiver subassembly 103 to the circular connector 111 of the subassembly 102 of the apparatus. (Not shown).

The cable connection end 123 of the transceiver subassembly 103 includes a pair of power terminals 131, a transmitter optical subassembly (TOSA) 135, and a receiver optical subassembly (ROSA) Each power terminal 131 has a conductive contact 132 that is removably connected to the mating terminal 157 of the connector assembly 155 of the cable assembly 104. A conductive lead 133 extends from each contact 132 and is electrically connected to one of the circumferential contacts 125 located in the cylindrical projection 124 of the housing 121.

The TOSA 135 has an optical interface 139 with a circuit (not shown) for converting electrical signals into optical signals. Three conductive leads 141 extend from the TOSA 135 into the cylindrical protrusion 124 of the housing 121 and are electrically connected to the circumferential contact 125 located in the cylindrical protrusion 124. One of the leads 141 of the TOSA 135 may be electrically connected to the same circumferential contact 125 as one of the power terminals 131 as a lead 132. [ This configuration can be used to provide power to the electronics in the housing 110 as well as to the TOSA 135 and the ROSA 136. The TOSA 135 may have a generally cylindrical adapter 137 having a generally cylindrical bore 138 for receiving matching optical components such as the fiber optic connector 158 of the cable assembly 104.

The optical interface of the TOSA 135 may take various forms. In the embodiment shown in Figures 10-21, the optical interface is an enhanced beam optical interface that uses a lens to magnify and reduce the optical in the matching interface. More specifically, the expandable beam connector extends the width of the optical beam and transmits the expanded beam across the air gap between the connectors. By expanding the beam, the relative size difference between any dust or debris and the beam is increased to reduce the effect of efficiency of either dust or debris, as well as connector misalignment. After the optical beam passes through the air gap, the second lens shrinks or refocuses the beam onto the optical fiber.

ROSA 136 is configured in substantially the same manner as TOSA 135 except that it operates to receive the optical signal and convert it to an electrical signal. In other words, the TOSA 136 and the ROSA 136 are configured in a physically similar manner in the transceiver subassembly 103, but have substantially opposite functionality. Their common elements are not described herein and share common reference numerals. TOSA 135 and ROSA 136 may be replaced with a single transceiver unit (not shown) if desired. Also, if transmission is only required in one direction, only one TOSA 135 or ROSA 136 may be used.

The cable assembly 104 is shown as a hybrid cable 151 having two optical fibers 152 and two electrically conductive wires 153 therein. The cable 151 may have a protective cover 154 surrounding its outer surface. The cable 151 is terminated at the connector assembly 155. The connector assembly 155 has a housing 156 that supports two electrical terminals 157 and two optical fiber connectors 158. The electrical terminal 157 is terminated at the conductive wire 153. The optical fiber connector 158 is terminated at the optical fiber 152. As shown, the optical fiber connector 158 can be a thermal expansion compensation connector terminated in the fiber optic cable assemblies 20, 50 shown in Figs. 1-9 described above. Alternatively, the optical fiber connector may be a different type of connector, whether an extension beam or otherwise. In some cases, it may be desirable to use a plastic optical fiber instead of the glass optical fiber 152.

The connector assembly 155 has a latch 165 for releasably latching the connector assembly 155 relative to the transceiver subassembly 103. The latch 165 includes a pair of deflectable beams (not shown) that engage the connector assembly 155 and thereby the ridge 167 of the cover 168 to secure the cable assembly 104 to the transceiver subassembly 103 166. The subassembly

The subassembly 102 can be assembled by mounting an electronic device (not shown) in the housing 110 with the circular connector 111 electrically connected to the electronic device via the conductive terminal 113. The transceiver subassembly 103 can be assembled by mounting each of the power terminals 131 on the housing 121 with the leads 133 of each power terminal 131 extending into the cylindrical protrusions 124 . Each lead is electrically connected to one of the circumferential contacts 125 of each cylindrical protrusion. The TOSA 135 and the ROSA 136 are each mounted to the housing 121 with the leads 141 from the TOSA 135 and the ROSA 136 extending into the cylindrical protrusion 124, Each lead is electrically connected to the circumferential contacts 125 of the cylindrical protrusions 124.

The cable assembly 104 is assembled by stripping the cover from the conductive wires 153 of the cable 151 and the optical fibers 152 to a predetermined length. The electrical terminals 157 terminate at the electrically conductive wires 153. The optical fibers 152 terminate at the optical fiber connectors 158. Terminated electrical terminals 157 and optical fiber connectors 158 may be mounted within housing 156 and the housing may be secured to cable 151. [

The cylindrical protrusion 124 of the transceiver subassembly 103 is inserted into the cylindrical opening 112 of the circular connector 111 to connect the transceiver subassembly 103 to the subassembly 102, (125) are engaged with the terminals (113) of the circular connector (111). The staggered dimples 115 of the terminal 113 allow each terminal 113 to engage with one circumferential contact 125 aligned with the terminal. The locking protrusion 126 extends through the end of the cylindrical opening 112 of the circular connector 111 and is fixedly coupled to the shoulder 117 to secure the transceiver subassembly 103 to the subassembly 102. The cover 168 may be mounted to the transceiver subassembly 103. The connector assembly 155 is aligned with the power terminals 131 along with the TOSA 135 and the ROSA 136 and the connector assembly 155 is moved toward the transceiver subassembly 103 such that the latch 165 engages the cover 168 To engage with the ridge 167 of the cover to secure the cable assembly 104 to the transceiver subassembly 103. [ With such a configuration, the transceiver subassembly 103 can freely rotate through a 360-degree rotation about a shaft 149 passing through the circular connector 111 and the cylindrical projection 124. Since the conversion of the electrical signal to the optical signal takes place outside of the subassembly 102 and after the interface between the subassembly 102 and the transceiver subassembly 103, The rotation of the cable assembly 104 is considerably simplified.

Referring to Figures 22 and 23, an alternative embodiment of an access system 170 for transmitting and receiving signals to an electronic device (not shown) is shown. Instead of having a pair of optical fibers, the connection system 170 has a single optical fiber 190 that is utilized as a bi-directional signal transmission medium. The electronic device is mounted within housing 171 and is connected to a transceiver (not shown) or a TOSA / ROSA (not shown), while still in housing 171, converts electrical signals from the electronic device to optical signals. As used herein, a transceiver assembly means an optical component capable of transmitting and receiving optical signals over a single optical fiber, whether it is a single assembly or two separate assemblies such as TOSA and ROSA. A hybrid connector 172 extends from the outer surface of the housing 171 and is electrically and optically connected to the electronic device by a circuit board (not shown) or other components in the housing. The hybrid connector 172 includes both an electrical connection portion and an optical connection portion. More specifically, a pair of spaced concentric conductive contacts 173, 174 extend about the mating axis 175. An enlarged beam optical connector component 176 may be positioned along the mating axis 175.

A matching hybrid connector 180 (shown in phantom) is also provided that also includes electrical connections and optical connections. A pair of conductive terminals 181 and 182 are mounted on the matching hybrid connector 180. Each conductive contact 181,182 has a deflectable beam 183 and a protrusion or dimple 184 to contact only the desired concentric contacts 173,174. The extended beam optical connector component 185 may be positioned along the axis 175 to transmit and receive bidirectional optical signals to and from the optical connector component 176 of the hybrid connector 172 via the optical fiber 190. If desired, appropriate elements may be provided in the housings of the hybrid connectors 176, 185 to secure the two connectors together. When necessary, the matching hybrid connector 180 may be connected to a hybrid cable, a separate electrical cable, and an optical cable or other component.

The electrical connections between the connectors 172, 180 are utilized to provide the power required for the electronic device. The optical connection is utilized for high bandwidth signal transmission. With such a configuration, the matching hybrid connector 180 can freely rotate about the matching shaft 175 with respect to the hybrid connector 172 in 360 degree rotation. Conversion of electrical signals to optical signals may occur within an electronic device or other components within or adjacent to the housing 171. By utilizing the enhanced beam optical interface, no contact occurs between the extended beam optical connector components 176, 185, and therefore no wear occurs. As a result, the connectors are free to rotate without affecting optical signal transmission or degrading optical signal transmission.

Alternatively, a transceiver assembly (not shown) associated with hybrid connector 172 that cooperates with extended beam optical connector component 185 of matching hybrid connector 180, rather than using extended beam optical connector component 176, Can be used. In addition, the transceiver assembly may be used with a non-enlarged beam optical connector component (not shown) of the matching hybrid connector 180. In either case, the system has an air gap between the hybrid connector 172 and the optical components of the matching hybrid connector 180, so that relative rotation between the connectors without affecting optical signal transmission or degrading optical signal transmission .

24-27 illustrate another alternative embodiment of an access system 200 for transmitting and receiving signals to and from an electronic device (not shown) having a single optical fiber 200 used as a bi-directional signal transmission medium. The electronic device is mounted in the housing 201 and is connected to a hybrid connector 202 for optically and electrically connecting the electronic device to the matching hybrid assembly 203.

The hybrid connector 202 includes both an electrical connector and an optical connector. More specifically, the hybrid connector 202 has a contact circuit board 204 having a pair of spaced concentric conductive contacts 205, 206 extending about a mating shaft 207. The conductive contacts 205 and 206 are electrically connected to the leads (not shown) in the contact circuit board 204. The hole 209 can extend through the contact circuit board around the matching shaft 207. [ An electrical current may be transmitted through the conductive contacts 205, 206 to power the electronic device and the transceiver assembly 208.

The transceiver assembly 208 is located along the mating axis 207 and may extend through the hole 209 of the contact circuit board 204. A plurality of leads 210 extend from the transceiver assembly 208 for power and various signal carrying capabilities. The transceiver assembly 208 is configured to convert electrical signals from the electronic device to optical signals so that the signals can be transmitted and received along a single optical axis. The transceiver assembly 208 may be a single assembly, such as a transceiver, or two separate assemblies, such as TOSA and ROSA. Signals transmitted and received by the transceiver assembly 208 may be sent along the optical path in various manners. In one embodiment, signals may be sent sequentially along axis 207. In another embodiment, the signals may be sent simultaneously at different frequencies.

The contact circuit board 204 and the transceiver assembly 208 are electrically connected to the electronic device. This connection can be made by connecting the leads (not shown) of the contact circuit board 204 and the leads 209 of the transceiver assembly 208 to a circuit board (not shown) or other electronic components.

The matching hybrid cable assembly 203 includes both electrical connections and optical connections. The matching hybrid cable assembly 203 has a hybrid cable 211 and a matching hybrid connector 212. The hybrid cable 211 has a pair of conductors or wires 213 and a single optical fiber 214. The optical fiber 214 may be made of glass. Each of the conductors 213 has an electrical terminal 215 terminated at its end. The electrical terminals 215 may take a variety of forms including spring loaded pins to make butt contact with the concentric conductive contacts 205, 206 of the hybrid connector 202. The optical fiber 214 is terminated at the optical fiber connector 216. As shown therein, the fiber optic connector 216 may be thermal expansion compensation connectors terminated at the fiber optic cable assemblies 20, 50 shown in Figs. 1-9 described above. Alternatively, the fiber optic connectors may be other types of connectors, whether expanded beams or otherwise. In certain situations, it may be desirable to use plastic optical fibers instead of glass optical fibers.

The matching hybrid connector 212 has a two-piece, generally arcuate housing. The housing has internal components 218 and external components 219. The inner part 218 and the outer part 219 are fixed together with the conductive wires 213 and the optical fiber 214 positioned therebetween. If desired, a seal 220 may be provided between the inner part 218 and the outer part 219. The internal component 218 has a front portion 221 from which the electrical terminals 215 and the fiber optic connector 216 are extended for matching with the hybrid connector 202.

The mating hybrid cable assembly 203 allows the front portion 221 of the inner housing component 218 to pass through the circular opening 222 of the cover 223 and the attachment clip 224 to the front portion 221 of the inner housing component. So that it can be fixed to the housing 201. The matching hybrid cable assembly 203 can be matched to the hybrid connector 202 by mounting the assembly of the matching hybrid cable assembly 203 and the cover 223 on the housing 201 by screws 225 or the like.

The description of ranges of values herein is intended to be provided as a generic technique which separately represents each individual value within a range only and each individual value is included within the specification as individually described herein do. All methods disclosed herein may be performed by any suitable means, unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. Finally, although preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will be able to devise many variations without departing from the spirit and scope of the foregoing description and the appended claims.

Claims (10)

Optical fiber assembly 50,
An optical fiber 26 having a front end 28,
A ferrule 51 for supporting the optical fiber 26,
A beam expanding element aligned with the front end (28) of the optical fiber (26)
And a thermal expansion compensation element adjacent to the optical fiber (26) for compensating for a difference in thermal expansion between the optical fiber (26) and the ferrule (51)
The beam expanding element is an elastic lens inserted into the front passageway 71 of the ferrule 51. The front end of the optical fiber is coupled with the elastic lens 76,
The ferrule 51 includes a central bore 52 for receiving an optical fiber 26 secured to the rear section 55 of the ferrule 51,
The ferrule (51)
It is possible to allow the front passage 71 to move backwardly toward the rear section 55 when the ferrule 51 is contracted within the difference in thermal expansion and thus to move the rear section 55 between the rear section 55 and the rear surface 89 of the elastic lens 76 The distance is shortened and the length of the optical fiber 26 does not change and the front end 28 of the optical fiber 26 is additionally pressed into the rear surface 89 of the elastic lens 76 and the rear surface 89 of the elastic lens 26, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 >
The optical fiber assembly (50) being designed. delete The optical fiber assembly (50) of claim 1, wherein the elastic lens (76) is insert molded within a ferrule. 2. The optical fiber of claim 1, wherein the ferrule includes a central bore having a central axis, the central bore being configured such that a portion of the optical fiber spaced from the front end is positioned along the central axis (50). ≪ RTI ID = 0.0 > (50) < / RTI > The optical fiber assembly (50) of claim 1, wherein the beam expanding element is a lens integrally formed with a ferrule. 6. The optical fiber assembly (50) of claim 5, wherein the lens is spaced from a front end (28) of the optical fiber (26) and a portion of the ferrule (51) is positioned between the lens and the front end. A system (100) for high bandwidth signal transmission for connection with an optical fiber assembly (50) according to any one of claims 1 and 3 to 6,
An apparatus subassembly 102 having electronic components capable of electronic signal transmission,
A transceiver subassembly 103 for converting electronic signal transmission into optical signal transmission,
And a rotatable electrical contact (111) between the subassembly (102) and the transceiver subassembly (103). A system (100) for high bandwidth signal transmission for connection with an optical fiber assembly (50) according to any one of claims 1 and 3 to 6,
An apparatus subassembly 102 having electronic components capable of electronic signal transmission,
A transceiver subassembly 103 for converting electronic signal transmission into optical signal transmission,
And a rotatable connector (111) having an optical connector system along a rotational axis, a pair of electrical contacts and a rotational axis and connected to the subassembly (102). 9. The system (100) of claim 8, wherein the optical connector system has an air gap between the matching optical components. 9. The system (100) of claim 8, wherein the optical connector system has at least one enhanced beam optical connector.

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